Andrew, 22, Tom, 18, and Riley, 19 are all completing an Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Technician Apprenticeship at IWS M&E. Andrew and Tom are Level 3 apprentices in the mechanical fitting team, while Riley is a Level 3 apprentice machinist.
We took five minutes to catch up with them for a quick Q&A on their journey as apprentices so far…
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- What does your role entail on a day-to-day basis?
- What skills are you learning on the course?
- Why did you choose to apply for an apprenticeship with IWS M&E?
- How are you getting on with classroom sessions?
- What do you enjoy the most about your apprenticeship?
- Would you recommend an apprenticeship?
- What are you future ambitions?
What does your role entail on a day-to-day basis?
Riley: Using machines and making the products for the pumps like shafts, neck rings and sleeves, as well as measuring up and making parts for the pumps to help someone like Andrew who would be testing the pump and putting it together.
Andrew: My role is very different. If I’m in the workshop, usually that means I’m refurbishing the pump which we would have stripped down and given the parts to Riley. We’d size them up, get parts sent to the machinists to make new parts to help us build the refurbished pump.
In the workshop, we pressure test the pumps as well to see there’s no leaks. That’s when it’s ready to go back on site. When I’m on site, that can entail moving pumps, putting new pumps in, installing new pipework, and sometimes testing the pumps. We do vibration testing, temperature testing and seal testing. We have a lot of different sites, working for several different water companies.
Tom: I started off as a machinist and I was doing machine work for about a year and a half but due to a medical issue, I’ve had to switch over to fitting. As Andy said, we work in the workshop, learning how to strip the pump into different parts. It’s all new to me and I’m currently learning the basics.
What skills are you learning on the course?
Riley: To begin with, whilst we were with In-Comm*, we learnt about aspects such as fitting, bench work and using hand tools. Then we learnt about Computer Aided Design (CAD) and Computer Aided Manufacturing (CAM). We made drawings with pen and paper then replicated the drawing using the CAD software. After that we moved on to turning and milling. We have also learnt about fluid power, which is pneumatics and hydraulics, welding, and Computer Numerical Control (CNC) which is a machine with programmes for turning and milling. Since I’ve come to the workshop, I’m slowly trying to learn how parts should fit for pumps to help the fitters and understand how the parts work together.
Andrew: Likewise, I did a similar course. The only difference is instead of me doing CNC, I studied motors. That was a crucial part because a pump has a motor and it’s good to understand how a motor works in cohesion and gain the knowledge of why something might fail. I picked up most of my skills in the workshop and on site because its hands-on, such as learning how to be precise, learning how to dismantle and assemble components to create the final product and using company specific equipment.
Tom: I did an identical course to Riley and did the machining course for two years. Now I’m learning more hands-on work, communicating with other people, and learning to work in a team.
*Specialist provider of Engineering apprenticeships
Why did you choose to apply for an apprenticeship with IWS M&E?
Riley: I wanted to get into the engineering field and see where I could branch out from there. I liked all the options they had at In-Comm. I looked at all the options that were interesting and suitable for me and they helped me get into the course I was interested in. I researched the company as well and the role and I’m trying to use this course to branch out. I don’t know where yet, but I want to use it to get an idea. I’m quite enjoying what I’m doing now so might stick with it but will assess my options.
Andrew: Like Riley, I always had an interest in engineering. I really enjoyed maths and science in school and for me, I always knew I wanted to do something practical and hands-on rather than an office job. I did consider going to university, but I wanted to start work straight away and I knew that an apprenticeship was a better opportunity for me to do that as opposed to going to university. Even though you can learn a high level at university, I felt like if I can get started in the working field, I can get the experience and knowledge straight away, giving me an advantage over those who have gone to university.
Tom: I left school, and I was confused about what I wanted to do. I didn’t know where I wanted to go so, I was looking at all the options and I was going to go to college. But then I saw this apprenticeship and it seemed to have a lot more to offer than college. On the job experience, is better than someone telling you about the job.
How are you getting on with classroom sessions?
Riley: Me and Tom have just finished our classroom sessions and we’re finishing off our external assessor work. We have our end point assessment this year.
Andy: I finished in-class work 18 months ago. Now five days a week, I’m either on site or in the workshop.
Tom: There’s a lot of H&S and regulations that they teach you in classroom sessions.
Andy: There’s a lot of maths as well but it’s engineering maths such as applying equations to real life situations. That was a good unit.
Riley: Towards the end of the units, they want to know how you will go about presenting something, so we had to do a presentation and write-ups on problem-solving projects, such as the re-design of a conveyor belt.
What do you enjoy the most about your apprenticeship?
Riley: Being in the workshop, doing the work and getting to see how things come together. When I first started, I was pretty much just making parts and learning how to use machines but now I’m at the point where I’m back and forth between the machine shop and looking at what fitters actually do and how they put things together and it helps me understand what I need to make, what needs to adhere to what and what people are looking for.
Andy: We travel to lots of different sites, and I enjoy the variety of work. You can get two pumps that look similar but have totally different outcomes, so I like the problem-solving aspect, especially refurbing pumps, that’s probably one of my favourite things. When you strip down a pump it’s about identifying a problem which might not be so apparent and the satisfaction of putting it back together, putting it back in on site and seeing it running smoothly. So, taking pride in my work is something I really enjoy.
Tom: I enjoy the experience of seeing everything come together as one and understanding why it’s happening, learning and building my knowledge.
Would you recommend an apprenticeship?
Riley: I think you have to be sure about doing an apprenticeship.
Tom: I think you just have to go for it. You can never be 100% sure what you’re getting yourself into but doing an apprenticeship over something like college where you’re sat in a classroom is a proper experience and helps you grasp a better understanding of the job.
Riley: I think if you’re more hands-on then yes, absolutely an apprenticeship but we had someone a couple of years ago who wasn’t sure about their apprenticeship and swapped so you’ve got to be careful because not being sure can set you back.
Andy: I agree with Riley to some extent. It depends what job role you want. When I did A Levels I was bombarded with information. Those who are less academic may find it hard to take in information and university would be a continuation of that whereas doing an apprenticeship, I could get straight into it and have working experience, which was the main reason I got into it. Another key factor is that you get paid straight away and can only go higher and higher in the ranks, whereas university, you’re paying for tuition fees.
What are your future ambitions?
Riley: I’d like to get on with the course and look throughout the company for opportunities, maybe talk to my boss, see what might interest me and if I wanted to work towards that, I could find out how.
Andy: I want to focus on finishing the course and maybe consider some extra qualifications like a HNC to develop my skills because it makes me more useful to have in the team. But right now, I’m content with where I am. It’s a good job, it’s very stable, it’s good to know that we have a lot of work, and my job isn’t at threat.
Tom: Like Andy, I’m happy where I am now but I want to keep developing, keep learning and keep building on my knowledge over the years and seeing where that takes me.
Andy: It’s a good thing to check up on your progress, so you can ask your supervisor or manager on what they think you’re doing well or where you can improve. That’s what I like to do. It gives me a goal to work towards.
Interested in an apprenticeship? We currently have no opportunities available but please keep an eye on our careers page which we keep updated with our latest vacancies.
